in limbo

Weekend highlights: Stonehorse Friday date night with my favorite person in the whole world and the French onion soup that literally changed my life, a daytrip to see my brother-in-law's play, playing "Mary" from church today, a great time with my girls from SoCoChicks (including a dance party with some of my favorite little girls Emercyn & Kennedy afterward), and getting to see the last blooms on my favorite tree during my Sunday afternoon jog!

When I say we played "Mary" from church, I mean hooky. After getting in from OKC at 1 a.m. I slept through my alarm and we decided a little more sleep would do us well. Some of you might know that I am a worship leader at my church, and pretty much every week we are at church early Sunday to practice and spend time with some of our favorite people.

At my Bible Study tonight, someone happened to bring up this passage:

39  She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. 40  But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” 41  But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; 42  but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Between a busy season at work, selling and buying a house, pretty much doubling my workout schedule, and all of the other day-to-day things that come up, I have felt like a Martha a lot lately. We both felt like our accidentally sleep-in and playing "Mary" after a hectic Saturday would do us well this week. So we enjoyed sleeping in until about 10:30, eating homemade waffles with flax, and then running some leisurely errands around town. The extra sleep not only energized me, but I promise the little break also rejuvenated some areas of my attitude that needed a tune-up.  


So here I sit in limbo between two weeks, awake late Sunday night (because of my extra sleep, no doubt!) at the time of week when my thoughts are most abundant. I will tell you one thing. I feel full and hopeful about this week!

on impossible quotas:

Today, my firm completed the unimaginable. The short story: we have this goal every month, and this was our first month to have a about a 25% increased workload for which to fill a quota. Somehow, the awesome people filled this seemingly impossible quota with an hour to spare. I am so proud of them today!

Speaking of impossible quotas, tonight, I accomplished something in typical Undomestic fashion. Since it had been awhile since we saw my parents, when we got home on Wednesday, I invited them over for dinner tonight. While I'd planned to use my slow cooker to whip up a healthy, gourmet meal from scratch to simmer while I worked, life had other plans. Pretty much since the minute we've got home, my waking hours have been spent wiping dust and paint sludge from every surface in the rooms that got painted, and then putting things back in their proper place.

So today, I worked from about 7 to 5 with no lunch break, completed my 45-minute drive home, and went to the store, arriving at my home about 10-15 minutes before my parents. I only had time to preheat the oven, put the chairs back in their proper places, and scrub my bathroom.

"Dinner isn't started?" my mom remarked, a trace of panic in her voice. It was 6:00, over an hour past my parents' typical dinnertime.

But in less than 15 minutes, I set out a ham and cheese tray I'd bought for that very reason, put some dinner rolls in the oven to heat, put two cans of corn to simmer on the stove, opened and tossed a bag of the best salad kit I've ever eaten, and asked my dad to carve my two beautiful rotisserie chickens.

I may not have cooked a single thing -- except for an attempt at a cumin lemon sauce for the chicken, which no one touched -- but I'm proud of my compromise. With the help of the grocery store, my parents, husband, and I enjoyed a healthy, inexpensive dinner together without eating in a restaurant. I didn't have to make everything gourmet and from scratch. There is an alternative, a middle ground there's no crime in taking.

Sometimes, I think God moves mountains for us and then lets us take the credit and think it was our idea. He is definitely hand laying every step and stone in my path.

And I'm so glad I don't have to do it alone.

24

Dear Mom,

Thank you that 24 years (and 1 day) ago, you rocked on your side for five hours so I wouldn't be born with a deformed nose. Thank you for your good genes (I'll take the bad ones) and all of the motherly advice and lessons. Thank you for birthday parties and driving me to my friends' houses to spend the night, picking me up and taking me to practices, and everything else that comes with being a mother. I'm glad that our relationship has only grown closer now that I'm a wife myself.

Love, LB

* * *

24 has been a great year so far. The highlights of my birthday? Waking up to breakfast in bed from JT, a cake and sweet card waiting for me from co-workers, lunch (lobster bisque..mmmm) with my parents, surprise flowers when I returned, and a rockin date night featuring gourmet cupcakes, Hibachi, and fun with in-laws.

The birthday songs this year were "You are My Sunshine" and "You are the Best Thing" by Ray LaMontagne. (Click to hear the proper versions.) I got a mix tape and a frame with two pictures of our honeymoon and one picture of us at an FC Dallas game to hang on my bare white office walls.

So basically, I have the best husband, friends, and family a girl could ask for. My theme for Year 24 (and 1/2 of 23, really) is "With Everything," based on the Hillsong United song of the same name. I will explain more later.